Thunder
by Subtlynice
Summary: A delve into the mind of... Emmett Cullen. Emmett's opinion of Bella as they meet for the first time. She's like thunder. 1000 words exactly.


**Thunder**

_A delve into the mind of... Emmett Cullen. Emmett's opinion of Bella as they meet for the first time._

_This story is precisely 1000 words, as it was written for my 'Delving' series._

Standard disclaimer applies. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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If it weren't for the fact that any sane member of our family would never bet against Alice, I'd have sworn I heard a bear. But Alice promised Edward there would be no wildlife around tonight – Edward didn't want one of us to suddenly feel the need to hunt if Bella was going to be there, so he made her check very thoroughly.

Rosalie raises an eyebrow at the noise, and I see Esme sniff, then smile.

"It's Edward," she says softly. I snort. Edward has never been prone to guffaws of laughter in all the time I've known him, which is a very long time compared to the average human's lifespan. But I sniff too, and Edward's scent reaches my nostrils, along with a much more appealing scent. A human. Rosalie sniffs too, then catches on.

"Despicable," I hear her mutter, and I smile slightly at my wife's obvious displeasure with our guest.

"Now, now Rose. Be nice."

She just glares at me, her angelic perfection contorted in a frown which could still make the most beautiful model in the world's smile look weak and empty. I chuckle at her expression, but stop quickly as she crosses her arms and looks away. I know I should support her, but Edward is happy now. She is upset about the safety of our family, but I believe she has no reason to be. She is jealous of Bella's humanity, but as I jokingly tell her- I'd never be as careful as Edward if I were in his position. If my Rose were human I'd probably end up squishing her. She smiles at this and relaxes her edgy stance a bit. However, when she sees Edward appear from the trees she scowls again and stands up, walking gracefully away to join Alice.

I contemplate this reaction for a while, before walking with Esme to join Edward and Bella. She looks nervous, so we walk at a normal speed. I want to walk quicker – I am both incredulous and fascinated at how this girl has changed my brother – but I am concerned that if I let my true enthusiasm show it will frighten her off. She looks so apprehensive already.

"Was that you we heard Edward?" Esme calls to him.

"It sounded like a bear choking," I tease, slightly disappointed to find that it _was_ my brother and _not_ a grizzly. What I wouldn't give for a good hunt right now. I don't want to scare Bella, so I keep that second thought to myself, but I see Edward's mouth twitch into a smile.

_Oh well, brother._ I think. _I'll have to take my aggression out on the game instead, won't I? Prepare to lose- big time._

"That was him." Bella smiles, answering my voiced thought.

"Bella was being unintentionally funny," Edward retorts, and a crash of thunder sounds as Alice arrives.

"Eerie, isn't it?" I wink at Bella, trying to sound friendly without scaring her. She smiles and I feel instantly at ease with her. This isn't some human, out to wreak havoc on the life we've made for ourselves – this is a young, innocent little girl, who has made Edward ten times happier than I've ever seen him before. He's practically glowing just looking at the little thing. If I didn't know better, I'd say the sun was shining right now.

"Let's go," Alice trills, pulling my hand and tugging me to the pitch.

_Come on brother._ I think, knowing Edward is listening. _Plenty of time to ogle at her after I've beaten your sorry ass._

Thunder roars again, and I am eager to start the game. Edward is gaining on us as we run, and when he reaches me he smacks me around the head playfully – playfully, but still hard enough to give Bella a brain haemorrhage. I can't help but marvel at the way he manages to keep in control of his strength when he's around her.

"I'll show you 'taking your aggression out on the game'," Edward chuckles. "You think you've got it bad – I've spent the whole day with the most delectable fragrance there is and I haven't had a single drop to drink today. You went hunting with Rosalie earlier, and you're still daydreaming about those grizzlies?"

Alice's laugh rings out as we stop running and I turn to my brother with a grin. "Well, you know how it is with Rose and I. We got a little privacy this morning and we decided to use it wisely. Plenty of time for hunting tomorrow."

Edward grimaces as I think back to my perfect morning with Rose. "Ugh. Stop. Please."

I grin at my brother's obvious embarrassment and annoyance. "Sorry, bro. I'll try to keep my thoughts down."

"You do that," he mutters, distracted again as he smiles at the sight of Bella laughing with Esme as they walk down to us at a human pace.

Taking up my position, I consider the situation this strange but warm, friendly girl has willingly put herself in.

It's like… like the thunder. Right now, the thunder is crashing around us, but none of us are soaked from the storm. Bella is surrounded by people who could kill her before she is aware of the situation. And yet, here she stands, without a broken bone in her body. Amazing. She must really love Edward. Edward must really love her.

I look across our makeshift pitch, to my beauty; my angel. I know what it's like to be human and to see the beauty of our kind. Even while on my deathbed I had been too entranced by her to feel pain. I wonder if this is how Bella feels. I wonder if this feeling will kill her, as it killed me. My fate did not bother me – on the contrary, I had been overjoyed. But what does Bella think about us?

The thunder cracks once more and I swing my bat, giving Edward a wicked grin.

Let the game begin.

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Thank you for reading. This story is also available in Spanish. Links to the translations can be found on my profile. If you liked this story, please feel free to leave a review or some constructive criticism. x


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